2 comments:

Cthel
said...

This reminds me of why we will never have voice-operated televisions (despite the late Steve Jobs' grand plans).

While engineers recognised the limitations of a hand-held remote control a long time ago (the fact that it will inevitably get lost, run out of battery power at the most inopportune moment etc.), they also recognise its big advantage: It is a single point of control.

Disputes over who is in control of the television are simply manifested in battles for control of the remote; compare this with a hypothetical voice control television, which will have to either a) obey every command, regardless of who issues it, orb) try and work out which single person in the room is in charge of the television.

Not to mention the issue of filtering out the sound from the television programs.

It's another example of an elegant engineering solution running up against the ugly realities of the users.

Well, it will certainly bring a whole new meaning to the phrase "Keep your hands to yourself".

I'm reminded of all those old "Outer Limits" (original series) and "Space:1999" episodes where advanced aliens controlled all sorts of fantastic things by waving their hands over top of them. I always wondered what would happen if an Ebonite, or Peter Cushing, were to sneeze at just the wrong moment.